Our Story

Our story begins in 1904 when my maternal grandfather, Raffaele Raulli, came to America at the age of 17.  He went from peddling pasta in the city of Los Angeles, California to building a successful pasta business.  He then went on to build a thriving cookie business.  My paternal grandfather, Theodore Fogliani, had the same passion to build a life for himself and his family.  He ran a successful market in Laguna Beach, California for years.   My maternal grandmother, Josephine Raulli, and my mother, Tina Fogliani, have ensured that the tradition of Pizzelle lives on from generation to generation.

My drive to build Fogliani Foods into the premium Pizzelle company begins with these incredible people. I am committed to ensuring that each and every bag holds the same homemade taste and quality as if Josephine herself made them.

These Pizzelle are made in America and are a celebration of all immigrants who come to this country with the hopes of not only making their lives better but making this country better.  I am incredibly grateful to my grandparents and parents for the path they forged, giving me this opportunity to pursue my passion.

With gratitude,
Christian J. Fogliani

Biography

In April 2015, husband and wife, Christian and Kristina Fogliani launched Fogliani Foods driven by four underlying beliefs:

  • That a cookie could be made for the market without compromising the homemade taste and quality;
  • That Fogliani Pizzelle would become the gold standard against which all other Pizzelle would be judged.
  • That they would build this company in honor of their parents, grandparents, and all preceding generations whose efforts and sacrifice breathed life into this company; and
  • Put a smile on someone’s face

Prior to starting Fogliani Foods, Christian practiced law.  He then transitioned into business development during the dot com era in Silicon Valley.  Later, he went on to own an electronics manufacturing company in Southern California.  Kristina worked for a portfolio money management firm in the Bay Area and then transitioned to her real passion, story-telling.  She became an Emmy award winning journalist and worked for NBC and CBS in Northern California and FOX News in San Diego – where the two met.

Our Tradition:

Christian always had an interest in being creative in the kitchen, and has many fond memories of watching his grandmother, Josephine Raulli, and his mother, Tina Fogliani, making the most incredible Italian dishes.  Hungry for a new challenge and looking to create something from the ground up, Christian and Kristina decided to make Fogliani Foods a reality.  It would be the perfect marriage of Christian’s love for food and business, and Kristina’s love for creativity through Sales/Marketing.

At the outset, under a cottage food license, Christian and Kristina hand pressed each cookie one by one out of their home kitchen in Southern California.  As demand grew they knew they had to find a more efficient solution without compromising that homemade taste.  Christian packed his bags and headed for the home of Pizzelle – Italy.   Christian found a company that could make the very machine he had envisioned.   It would allow Fogliani Foods to make more cookies but it still required the one thing that has always made Fogliani Pizzelle special – human hands.  For generations Christian’s family has made these Pizzelle, and now Christian and Kristina were setting out on a course to allow millions to enjoy them.

Fast forward from the day they hand-pressed their first Pizzelle and Fogliani Foods is now operating out of a commercial kitchen in Northern California. They have improved efficiencies without sacrificing that homemade taste and quality.  They work everyday to become that gold standard for Pizzelle.  They humbly make each and every Pizzelle with a love and respect for everyone that helped make this company possible.  And ultimately, it’s the the joy these cookies bring to people, near and far, that make building this company worth it.  Enjoy!